Gear License Fees, Requirements, and Restrictions
To use or possess commercial fishing gear, you must have a Commercial Gear License for your gear. You must also have additional special permits to harvest some
species and/or use certain gear, and there are specific requirements and restrictions for the use of some commercial fishing gear.
STATE WATERS (FRESH AND SALTWATER)
Bow and arrow License fee: $25 resident, $100 nonresident
Cans, buckets,
pipes, drums
License fee: $25 resident, $100 nonresident (any legal number)
Cast net
License fee: $25 resident, $100 nonresident
Dip net
License fee: $25 resident, $100 nonresident
Eel pot
• License fee: $25 resident, $100 nonresident (any legal number)
• You may only use eel pots to harvest eel. If you catch any other fish with this gear, you must immediately return it unharmed to the water.
• Must be no longer than 48 inches and mesh must be at least 1/2 inch.
• Throats or flues must be smaller than 3 inches in diameter at the narrowest point and no larger than 5 inches in diameter at the widest point.
• You may not connect lead or wings or use them in conjunction with an eel pot.
Flounder or
garfish gig
License fee: $25 resident, $100 nonresident (per gig)
Gill net
• License fee: $25 resident,
$100 nonresident (any legal number)
• Prohibited in saltwater (unless
you have a special permit to use strike nets to harvest mullet or pompano).
• Net must not exceed
1,200 feet in length. Mesh must be at least 3 inches square or 6 inches stretched after treating with tar or copper. You must
attach waterproof tags with your name and license number to the cork line at the end of each net, no more than 3 feet from the webbing edge.
Hoop net
• License fee: $25 resident,
$100 nonresident (any legal number of nets)
• Mesh must be at least 1 inch square or 2 inches stretched after treating with tar or copper
• Saltwater: you may
leave hoop nets unattended if they’re attached to a wharf at an inhabitable camp and tagged with an LDWF-issued tag. You
may leave hoop nets without leads unattended only if you’re harvesting catfish. You may not have red drum or spotted seatrout on board any
vessel that’s carrying a hoop net.
• Freshwater: You may
only use wings and leads in overflow regions (where the water is out of the bed of the natural stream or lake). You must set
them at least 500 feet from the bed. Wings or leads must be at least 100 feet apart. Leads must not exceed 25 feet in length. You may not use a
hoop net with leads to harvest mullet.
Minnow trap
• License fee: $25 resident, $100 nonresident (any legal number)
• Throats or flues must not exceed 1 inch in width.
• You may only use minnow traps to harvest minnows for bait.
Legal Finfish Gear
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To use or possess commercial fishing gear, you must have a Commercial Gear License for your gear. You must also have additional special permits to harvest some
species and/or use certain gear, and there are specific requirements and restrictions for the use of some commercial fishing gear.
STATE WATERS (FRESH AND SALTWATER)
Bow and arrow License fee: $25 resident, $100 nonresident
Cans, buckets,
pipes, drums
License fee: $25 resident, $100 nonresident (any legal number)
Cast net
License fee: $25 resident, $100 nonresident
Dip net
License fee: $25 resident, $100 nonresident
Eel pot
• License fee: $25 resident, $100 nonresident (any legal number)
• You may only use eel pots to harvest eel. If you catch any other fish with this gear, you must immediately return it unharmed to the water.
• Must be no longer than 48 inches and mesh must be at least 1/2 inch.
• Throats or flues must be smaller than 3 inches in diameter at the narrowest point and no larger than 5 inches in diameter at the widest point.
• You may not connect lead or wings or use them in conjunction with an eel pot.
Flounder or
garfish gig
License fee: $25 resident, $100 nonresident (per gig)
Gill net
• License fee: $25 resident,
$100 nonresident (any legal number)
• Prohibited in saltwater (unless
you have a special permit to use strike nets to harvest mullet or pompano).
• Net must not exceed
1,200 feet in length. Mesh must be at least 3 inches square or 6 inches stretched after treating with tar or copper. You must
attach waterproof tags with your name and license number to the cork line at the end of each net, no more than 3 feet from the webbing edge.
Hoop net
• License fee: $25 resident,
$100 nonresident (any legal number of nets)
• Mesh must be at least 1 inch square or 2 inches stretched after treating with tar or copper
• Saltwater: you may
leave hoop nets unattended if they’re attached to a wharf at an inhabitable camp and tagged with an LDWF-issued tag. You
may leave hoop nets without leads unattended only if you’re harvesting catfish. You may not have red drum or spotted seatrout on board any
vessel that’s carrying a hoop net.
• Freshwater: You may
only use wings and leads in overflow regions (where the water is out of the bed of the natural stream or lake). You must set
them at least 500 feet from the bed. Wings or leads must be at least 100 feet apart. Leads must not exceed 25 feet in length. You may not use a
hoop net with leads to harvest mullet.
Minnow trap
• License fee: $25 resident, $100 nonresident (any legal number)
• Throats or flues must not exceed 1 inch in width.
• You may only use minnow traps to harvest minnows for bait.
Legal Finfish Gear
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